長ちょう男なん

ちょ

う

な

ん

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

eldest son; first-born son

Refers to the oldest son in a family. May be used even when he is the only son.

彼かれは長ちょう男なんとして家いえを継つぐことになった。
As the eldest son, he was to succeed the family.
長ちょう男なんは来らい年ねん大だい学がくを卒そつ業ぎょうします。
My eldest son will graduate from university next year.

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Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に長ちょう男なんが生うまれるsomeone's eldest son is born
去きょ年ねん、彼かれに長ちょう男なんが生うまれた。
His eldest son was born last year.
長ちょう男なんとして育そだつto grow up as the eldest son (often with expectations)
彼かれは長ちょう男なんとして厳きびしく育そだてられた。
He was raised strictly as the eldest son.
長ちょう男なんが家いえを継つぐthe eldest son inherits/succeeds the family (business, household)
この家いえでは長ちょう男なんが家か業ぎょうを継つぐことになっている。
In this family, it's expected that the eldest son will take over the family business.

Kanji

長long, leader, superior
男male

Related words

一いち男なん
長男 specifically and commonly means 'eldest son', while 一男 is a rarer, more formal word that can mean either 'a boy/son' or 'eldest son' depending on context.

Opposites

次じ男なんN3
長男 is the first son born into a family, while 次男 is the second son, the natural birth-order contrast.
長ちょう女じょN3
長女 is the eldest daughter of a family, while 長男 is the eldest son, the male counterpart in birth order.
末すえっ子こN3
末っ子 is the youngest child (either gender), while 長男 specifically means the eldest son, so they sit at opposite ends of birth order.

Don't confuse with

嫡ちゃく子し
長男 simply means 'eldest son' regardless of legal status, whereas 嫡子 refers to the legitimate heir, who may or may not be the eldest son.
三さん男なんN3
長男 means the eldest son, while 三男 means the third son, so the two are easy to mix up when talking about birth order.

Counted with

名めいN2
More formal than 人 — used for headcounts in reservations, staff lists, and announcements (5名様).
人にん
The everyday counter for people: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん).

Etymology

Compound of 長 (chō, 'long, eldest') and 男 (nan, 'male, son'). The reading is on'yomi.